


Somebody Really Needs To Call CPS (Again)

by KayKayWrites



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders are Siblings, Car Accidents, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Heavy Angst, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Manipulation, Parent Death, Pedophilia, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Sacrifice, Sexual Abuse, Slurs, Sympathetic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Sympathetic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, Transphobia, Unsympathetic Logic | Logan Sanders, not romanticized, they're only used once but still
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:08:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23780575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayKayWrites/pseuds/KayKayWrites
Summary: Virgil was just trying to keep it together. Between school, work, looking after his little brother Remy, and avoiding cps, he’s more than a little run down.Roman was just trying to help.But Logan? Logan is going to make Virgil his. No matter the cost.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Original Character(s)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Meant To Be Yours](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21744715) by [into_the_voidd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/into_the_voidd/pseuds/into_the_voidd). 



Virgil's alarm started blaring, causing him to fumble sleepily to turn it off, before rolling over and groaning. He needed coffee.On his way to the kitchen, he knocked on Remy's door and said "Remy, time to get up, you've gotta get ready for school."

He waited until he got a response before continuing. While the coffee was brewing, he started fixing Remy his breakfast, belatedly realizing that they only had just enough cereal for one more bowl. He'd have to skip breakfast again. After a few minutes, Remy padded into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eyes, but at least he was dressed. He made grabby hands at Virgil's coffee mug, but Virgil just chuckled and held it out of reach. "Hey now, coffee's for big kids, not babies like you."

"I'm ten and a half! I'm not a baby!"

"Well, I'm sixteen and I say you are, so no coffee for you. C'mon, eat your cereal before it gets soggy."

Remy mock grumbled for a second, before digging in to his breakfast and Virgil made a mental note that he'd have to get more cereal in between school and work. He couldn't have Remy going hungry. Once Remy was finished, Virgil took the bowl and rinsed it out in the sink. Remy tried to leave, but Virgil called out, "Ah ah ah, you still need to brush your teeth! And put a coat on, I don't want you getting sick." _We can't afford it anyway_ Virgil mentally added

"Ugh, fine you old worrywart" Remy replied, sticking his tongue out at Virgil before complying.

Remy came back out into the kitchen, wearing a puffy coat that ended an inch or two higher than his waist. "Okay, I'm ready!"

Virgil knelt down and gave Remy a big hug, and they both said, "Bye, be safe, love you" and Remy walked out the door. Virgil watched him from the window, thankful that the bus stop was in view. He hated leaving Remy to wait by himself, but the bus usually didn't take too long and Virgil needed to get ready too. He sighed and went back to his room, throwing on some jeans that were just 2 inches two short and a worn thin shirt. He _needed_ new clothes, just like Remy needed a jacket, but right now Virgil was barely able to afford rent and food. Clothes were... a secondary concern. He put on a t-shirt underneath his long sleeved shirt, and then put on his old black hoodie. It was pretty ratty, all things considered, but it was the warmest thing he owned. He sighed and grabbed his bookbag, burying his hands in the hoodie pocket and resigning himself to freezing as he walked to school. He was always cold anyways, so what did it matter, really?

He locked the door behind him, and walked into the wind, gritting his teeth. He ended up being a few minutes late to first period, and his teacher felt the need to lecture him about "making more of an effort" in front of the whole class. Virgil just shrugged and took his seat in the back row. He slouched and crossed his arms, leaving his hood up. This was history, he didn't care. He was pretty good at bullshitting tests, so as long as he passed, that's what mattered. He ended up drifting off, catching up on much needed sleep, and was jerked awake by the bell signifying the end of class.

Even though he was woken abruptly from his nap, Virgil was glad to get to second period. Second period meant art. And it also meant getting to hang out with Veronica. Veronica was one of his few friends here, and she never gave him shit for being tired or having old clothes. She made it clear that she was always down to listen if he wanted to talk, but never pressed, so there was no obligation, which Virgil was immensely grateful for. If he was being honest with himself, he'd _love_ to talk about what was going on, but he _couldn't_. He couldn't risk Remy's happiness. As long as Remy was happy, it didn't matter what happened to Virgil. That's how it worked....right?

Another reason Veronica was such a good friend was that she helped Virgil study and gave him copies of her notes when he was too tired to pay attention. He wouldn't have passed his chemistry midterm without her. 

"Hey, V, what's up?" She said as he plopped into a chair next to her

Virgil grinned. "The ceiling."

He earned a scoff and a smack with some rolled up paper.

"You're insufferable"

"That's just why you love me"

The class ended too soon, and Virgil reluctantly said goodbye to Veronica. He half-heartedly paid attention in math, knowing if he didn't, no amount of patience from his friends would save him from failure. After what seemed like an _eternity_ it was finally time for lunch. Virgil smiled and sat down at the table with his friends, Remus aka Chaos Entity, Veronica, the holder of Chaos Entity's sole brain cell, and Roman, aka Mr. Extra.

Virgil was supremely thankful that the school had free lunch, or else he probably would've starved ages ago. Sure, it wasn't exactly _appetizing_ but food was food. You had to pay for the extra snacks, like chips and cookies, but Virgil was fine not having those, always getting as much of everything else as he could, eating it even if he didn't like it. More often than not, this was his only meal of the day, he had to make it count. 

As he sat down with his tray, Roman said, "Ugh, Chemically Imbalanced Romance, I don't know how you can eat that crap"

Virgil shrugged, but before he could retort, Remus jumped in, "Poor Roman has no taste. Brother dear, you just don't understand _fine dining_."

Virgil laughed. He had always thought that Remus had a screw loose, but somehow he had impeccable timing. Whenever someone asked a seemingly innocent question, Remus always redirected it before Virgil could get too uncomfortable. He had no idea how he knew to do it, but was too worried that asking him directly would have… undesirable consequences.

Roman spluttered. "Well, at any rate, I know the cookies are decent and you look exhausted. Some sugar will do you good.”

Virgil didn't like accepting charity, it made him feel weak, but he knew better than to object. After all, it's just a small gift between friends, right? If he overreacted, they'd know something was up.

Virgil smiled and accepted it, "Thanks, Princey."

He ate it slowly, savoring every morsel. He didn't know when he'd have something like this again, he had to make it last. The rest of the school day passed mostly uneventfully, Virgil napping in most of his classes and getting called out for it by some of the stricter teachers. In Virgil's opinion, those teachers had sticks up their asses, but he didn't say as much so he didn't get in trouble. He couldn't afford to have some administrator want to talk to his dad just cause he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Virgil had gotten pretty good at imitating an adult, but if they asked for an in-person meeting? It would ruin everything! So Virgil kept quiet, biting back every acidic retort, counting down the seconds until school was out for the day. He hated it here, he hated going to school. The only thing he liked were his friends. He couldn't wait until he could graduate and never have to go back to this hellhole. 

Once he graduated, he could get a better job, and take better care of Remy. He'd be able to afford a better coat and a new bookbag and a lunch box that wasn't a plastic bag. He wouldn't have to worry that if Remy got sick, he wouldn't be able to buy the medicine to make him feel better. 

School let out, and while the rest of his friends hung out for a little bit, talking and laughing, Virgil started walking home. It was a little warmer since the sun was out in full force by now and the wind had calmed down, so Virgil wasn't nearly as frozen when he got back to the apartment. He didn't have much time, he threw on his uniform, the only thing that he owned that wasn't thin and old. It still didn't fit, since it was a one size fits all, but nobody's uniform fit, so Virgil didn't feel as self-conscious about it. Right on schedule, he heard the little knock on the door, and he hurried to open it and ushered Remy in.

"How much homework do you have?"

"None! I'm gonna go play!" Remy said, trying to run off, but Virgil snatched the hood of his jacket and pulled him back.

"Remy... tell me the truth" He said warningly, giving him _the look_ that their dad used to give when he knew that they were fibbing

Under his breath, Remy grumbled, "I've got a math worksheet and I have to write a paragraph for social studies."

Virgil released him and nodded. "That's more like it. You know the drill, finish it and leave it on the counter that way I know you did it. I've gotta go to work soon, but before I go I'll make some mac n cheese that you can microwave when you get hungry, okay?"

Remy nodded. He wished he could say that he didn't want mac n cheese, he wanted anything but mac n cheese, since he'd had it for dinner every night this week, but the last time he'd said that Virgil had gotten really upset. Remy didn't know why! He wasn't trying to hurt his feelings! But he didn't like making his big brother upset, so he just nodded

Virgil ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Thanks, Rems. You're the best."

He left the macaroni in a bowl in the fridge, easily visible to someone of a 10 year old's height. Sighing, he left the apartment and locked up again, anxiety making him double check it now that he's leaving his little brother alone, and started walking to work. It took the better part of an hour to get there, and Virgil was exhausted by the time his shift was over. They were understaffed, but weren't trying to get a new person, which left Virgil to pick up the slack.


	2. Chapter 2

It was 2 in the morning before he got off, and he still had to walk home. He didn't complain about it though, at least not aloud, he knew better than that. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. Virgil didn't like walking home at night. He wasn't scared of the dark, not at all. What scared him were the people _hiding_ in the dark. He wasn't even worried for his own safety. It didn't really matter what happened to him. But if something happened to him and Remy was left all alone? Virgil didn't think he could forgive himself

So he walked quickly, but not running. He didn't want to seem like a target. He had his hood up and buried his hands in his pockets, eager to get home and pass out, just to do it all over again. He kept telling himself, just keep going, one more day one more day. He was going to graduate soon, if he could make it a few more months then everything would get better. At least, it would for Remy. Virgil's reward would be never having to go to school again, maybe being able to _sleep_ a little bit more.

When Virgil got to the door, unscathed thankfully, his hands were shaking from the cold. He quietly entered, sagging with relief at the immediate warmth, and cupped his hands so he could blow on them and try to get more feeling back into his fingers. He locked the door behind him and trudged over to the counter, taking a cursory glance at Remy's homework. He wasn't really checking to see if they were right, just to make sure that he did every problem. He eased the fridge open and was both relieved and disappointed to see that the macaroni had disappeared. Sure enough, he found the dirty bowl accompanied by a dirty fork in the sink. Virgil sighed and went to his room, changing into some old sweatpants and a night shirt. He had _just_ managed to drift off when there was a knock at his door. He suppressed a groan and sat up, wiping his eyes blearily. 

"Come in." He half-called, half-whispered

Remy's tiny figure entered and immediately wrapped his arms around Virgil, squeezing as tightly as his 10 year old strength would allow

"Hey, Rems. Nightmare?" Virgil asked, ruffling Remy's hair. He felt the boy nod against his shirt.

"Same one as usual?"

Remy nodded again, holding onto Virgil just a little bit tighter.

"Okay, you can sleep in here with me tonight. I'll protect you from the bad dreams."

Virgil laid back down and Remy snuggled into him, instantly put at ease and quickly falling asleep. But before he drifted off, almost inaudibly he mumbled, "Thank you, Virgie."

"Of course, Remy. I'm always here for you."

Virgil had a much harder time falling asleep than his younger brother, not wanting to change positions and accidentally wake him. It seemed like Virgil had finally gotten comfortable enough to sleep when the alarm went off, cuing the start of another miserable day. 

_Shit._ He hadn't gone to the store yesterday. There was no more cereal. Virgil tried to sit up, but Remy clung to him and mumbled into a pillow, "Five more minutes?"

"Nah, c'mon, you've gotta get up. Go get dressed while I- I made breakfast"

Virgil was nervously fretting. He'd never let Remy go hungry, even when he had nothing he always provided for Remy. After his little brother went to go get dressed, Virgil went to the kitchen and was thankful that they still had some bread. Remy could have a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast! That was... _something_ right?

Despite coming up with a second best alternative, Virgil could feel the guilt crawling up inside of him, threatening to choke the life out of him. _He has to do better. He can't afford to fail Remy._ But he _also_ can't afford to let Remy see him like this. He has to be strong. So when he hears Remy's footsteps approaching, he smiles and puts up his happy mask and gives Remy his breakfast.

"No more Lucky Charms?" Remy asks, clearly disappointed.

"Not right now, I still have to go to the store, but I'll get some more soon, okay?"

Virgil repeated the same routine again, handing Remy his homework as he tried to leave without it, sleeping through most of his classes, pretending everything was fine and that he was just another normal kid around his friends. He sighed in relief when it was time for 6th period. He had a study hall that period, so he used it to nap, pillowing his arms on the table and ignoring the world for a solid 50 minutes. It was bliss.

This time, though, someone was tapping his shoulder and Virgil grumbled incoherently at them to leave him alone, before the person said, "How rude! Is that any way to treat your dashing Prince, Surly Temple?"

Virgil squinted at him. "Roman? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in English?"

"Well, technically speaking, yes, but I asked the teacher if I could go to the bathroom and here I am!"

"Wow, what a rebel." Virgil scoffed, a smirk dancing on his features

Roman sits down, and he looks unusually worried. "Virgil... I've been noticing some- some _things_ and- and I wanted to ask you about them, but... but I wanted to do it now rather than at lunch, that way you'd have more privacy."

Now he's got Virgil's attention. Virgil sits straight up and looks Roman dead in the eye, his voice deathly quiet. "What... sort... of _things?_ "

"Like... like how you eat like a ravenous wolf at lunch, but you've been steadily getting thinner and thinner. And... and how you never talk about your parents, like, at all. And... how _you're_ always the one taking care of your little brother... How- how your clothes are always old and worn, but yet I somehow never see you with new ones. How you're always so _tired_ all the time... I know that high school is exhausting and all of us are overworked but... but you seem so much more run down than everyone else... I- I'm concerned for you, Stormcloud. Are... is everything okay for you at home? Are your parents taking care of you?"

"U- um, _yeah_ every- everything's fine Roman, y- you- you're acting weird. I- I'll leave you to your weirdness" Virgil stammered before practically sprinting out the door of the library.

He speed walked down the halls, trying not to get noticed, until he found the familiar door of the old, run down supply closet that none of the janitors used anymore. He dove inside, shutting the door behind him so he was encased in darkness, and finally let himself succumb to the panic attack that had been brewing. _Why'd he handle it like that?? That was so suspicious, why the _fuck_ couldn't he just act _natural?__

_What was he going to do what was he going to do what was he going to do_

_They're going to find out and then everything'll be ruined and-_

Virgil roughly shoved a fist into his mouth to muffle the sobs. 

Unbeknownst to Virgil, Roman was looking for him, wandering up and down the halls in search of him, but eventually he had to go back to class, hanging his head and feeling contrite. This was the opposite of what he'd wanted! He'd wanted Virgil to _confide_ in him! To tell him what was going on! But instead… Virgil had just given Roman more questions with no answers.

Over dinner that night, Roman was much quieter than usual, causing his dad to prompt him, "Son? Is everything alright?"

Roman sighed. "I... I don't think so..."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm just... I've told you about my friend Virgil... I'm really worried about him..."

"Why's that?"

"I... I think his parents are neglecting him."

"That's a serious accusation, son. What evidence do you have to support that?"

Roman went into detail, talking about how Virgil had already been thin when they'd first met, but now he just looked like skin and bones and how he never had clothes that fit, they were always thin and old and raggedy. How Virgil always ate like a starving man at lunch, never seeming like he could get enough. And, no matter how much Roman asked, Virgil adamantly refused to talk about his parents, always changing the subject. Roman's dad sighed, while Remus looked mortified at his brother's actions, silently shaking his head in horrified protest.

“And! And today, I tried asking him about it, just so I could get some sort of explanation, y'know? Maybe I could help! But... but he bolted... and I haven't seen or heard from him for the rest of the day..."

Roman's dad dragged his hands over his face, sighing again. After a long while of silent contemplation, he finally said, "Okay. You're a smart kid, with a good head on your shoulders. I'll try to call CPS tomorrow, have them check in on him. I promise nothing, got it?"

Roman nodded, sagging in relief that something was finally going to be done. Once they knew what was really going on, they could finally give him the help he needed! He smiled to himself, grateful for his dad. He knew that talking to his dad about all this would be the right thing to do!

Virgil ended up skipping his 7th period, choosing instead to spend it in the closet to try and figure out a way out of this and _definitely_ not panic and cry some more. He got home the same time as usual, but when Remy knocked on the door, instead of Virgil just asking him about his day, he knelt down and looked him in the eyes, a grave expression on his face.

"Remy? I need you to promise me something, okay? I know we've already talked about this, but it's really really important right now."

"Virgie? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah! Everything's totally fine! But, I need you to promise that, no matter what, you won't open the door to anyone. I have a key, so if they're knocking, it's not me. If someone knocks, I want you to be completely quiet, don't make a sound. No matter what they might say, I don't care if they say they'll take you to _Disneyland_ and buy you a life's supply of ice cream, you open that door to no one, got it?"

"O- okay, I promise" Remy said, worried about where this was all coming from.

Virgil broke out into a smile and pulled Remy close, holding him tight in a big hug. "Don't you worry about a thing, Rems. It'll all be okay."

Virgil went to work, using the last of the macaroni to make Remy dinner for that night. Thankfully, tomorrow was Saturday. He was getting paid tonight, so he could sleep in for a little bit tomorrow, before going to the store for groceries and still have plenty of time before work. The night passed uneventfully and Virgil eagerly collapsed on his bed the moment he got home, not even caring about his complaining stomach, just craving the sweet embrace of sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Virgil woke up around 9, which was infinitely better than his normal 6:30. He yawned and rolled out of bed, padding to the kitchen to make coffee. He was just about to take his first sip of delicious caffeine when… he heard a knock at the door. The walls were quite thin, so Remy, who had already woken up and had been playing quietly, snuck out of his room to see what was going on, tiptoeing to the kitchen. He looked questioningly at Virgil, but Virgil hadn't noticed him, his full attention on the door. Who could be knocking? Rent wasn't due yet, so it couldn't be the landlord and that was the only person that ever knocked anyway so…

The person knocked again, this time with much more force and called out, "Attention to the occupants of this apartment: There has been a major gas leak and the building integrity is compromised. Immediate evacuation is mandatory for everyone's safety."

Virgil didn't know what to do with this information. He couldn't just let Remy stay in the building and die could he? He had to protect him! Virgil took a deep breath and tried to suppress the shaking in his hands as he walked towards the door. Remy's eyes bugged out as Virgil actually opened it. Hadn't he _just_ lectured him about not opening the door to anyone? There was a tall man on the other side of the door, wearing glasses and a necktie and holding a clipboard.

"There's a gas leak in the apartment complex?" Virgil asked him for clarification.

The man smiled at him and said, "This is something I'd like to talk to your parents about, where are they?"

"Uhh... dad's at work right now, so... "

"And is your father your sole guardian?"

"Uh, that's none of your business? Leave us alone." Virgil said, moving to shut the door in the man's face; however, the man threw his foot out, blocking Virgil from closing the door.

Once one foot was in the door, the man was able to slip inside, causing Virgil to cry out, "H- hey! Get out of my apartment! You can't just do that!"

He spotted Remy, who was attempting to hide behind the counter and said, "Ah! Hello, young man! How many people live here?"

" _Hey!_ You're not allowed to talk to him!" Virgil said hotly, moving to stand between Remy and the man.

"I just asked him a simple question! If you won't even answer that well then... oh my... this is going to go very poorly for you, indeed."

"There is no gas leak, is there? Get the _fuck_ out!" Virgil growled, glaring at the man furiously. 

"Tut, tut. Language. But very astute of you, no there is no gas leak. My name is Logan Crofter, I'm with Child Protective Services."

Virgil paled, but quickly recovered, trying to brush him off. "Well, no child needs _'protecting'_ we're doing just fine, thanks. Now, get out."

" _I'll_ be the judge of that. Now, your father is your primary guardian?"

"He's actually dad's boyfriend? Dad... passed away a while ago and his boyfriend has been taking care of us ever since. It was in the will and everything that he wanted us to go to him. I just say 'dad' cause it's less complicated."

"I see... and does this 'boyfriend' have a name?"

"Y- yeah! Of course! I- it's- it's Darryl! Darryl Johnson!"

Logan made a note on his clipboard. "I'll need to call this Mr. Johnson to ask him about this. What's his phone number?"

"I... uh, this is actually really embarrassing but... I don't remember? He's told me like ten different times, but I can never remember it. And I don't have a phone, so it's not like I can _save_ it anywhere."

Logan nodded. "Does Mr. Johnson live here with you?"

"Y- yeah! O- of course, why wouldn't he?" Virgil said slightly too fast, chuckling nervously.

"I'd like for you to show me his bedroom."

It wasn't a question.

"U- u- um, that's really weird a- and Darryl likes his p- privacy, so..."

"Very well. If you will not answer my questions, I suppose I have no choice but to report that there are two at-risk children living here."

"N- n- no!! We- we're not _at risk_ what are you talking about? D- Darryl would freak if he came home a- and we weren't here!"

"Then why don't you make this easier on everyone and show me his room?"

Virgil stared into Logan's eyes for a long second, internally debating, but then he said, "Y- yeah! Okay, i- it's this way!" Beckoning with his hand for Logan to follow him down the hall.

He led Logan into his dad's old bedroom and nervously stood in the doorway as Logan looked around.

Once he was done, Logan stood right in front of Virgil and said in a cold, demanding voice, "Stop. Lying. To me"

"I- I'm not ly-"

"This room is coated in layers of undisturbed dust. No one has lived here in months."

Virgil gulped and took a step back. "I- I-"

"You will either tell me the entire truth this instant, or I will have no other choice than to call my superior."

Virgil's face crumpled, his eyes brimming up with tears, a few spilling down his face. "Okay" He choked out, his voice wracked with emotion.

At this, Remy charged forward, placing himself protectively between Virgil and Logan. "Hey! Stop being mean to my brother! Don't-"

Virgil grabbed Remy's hand, pulling him away from angrily pointing at Logan and gave him a tight hug. "Hey, Rems. It's okay. I'll take care of it. I always take care of it, right?"

"Y- yeah, but- but he's being mean! He made you cry, Vergie!"

"It's okay. Everything's gonna be fine."

Virgil stood back up from where he had knelt down to Remy's height and roughly wiped at his eyes. "Now, go to your room."

"But-"

"No buts. I said 'go to your room.'"

Hurt bloomed in Remy's eyes, but he did as he was told, storming off to his room, plopping onto his bed, furiously crossing his arms and pouting.

"Now, _Vergie_. Tell me everything."

Virgil hesitated for a second, clearing his throat and taking a shuddery breath to try and quiet the knot in his throat.

He explained everything from the beginning, reliving it as if it were yesterday. The Storm family had been a quiet but happy one. Virgil's father had adopted both of them at the same time, when Virgil was 10 and Remy was 4. Before living with Mr. Storm, they were in the foster system, which Remy didn't remember. However... Virgil was a different story. He remembered being torn apart from his brother, living with strangers who didn't even like him and crying every day. Luckily, both brothers acted out so much that they were both sent back, and no one adopted them until Mr. Storm that fateful day. Virgil hadn't immediately trusted him, far from it, but little by little the man proved himself and Virgil started calling him "dad." They both cried a little that day. They lived in their apartment, and it wasn't much, but Mr. Storm always took care of them, always provided for them. That is… until the crash.

A little after Virgil's 15th birthday, he was waiting for Mr. Storm to get home, cause it was family game night! And they couldn't have family game night with 1/3 of the family gone! But the hours ticked by and it got later and later and there was still no sign of him. Eventually, Virgil couldn't handle his restless thoughts, so he turned on the TV to try and distract himself. The channel was already on the news and Virgil saw... his father's vehicle…crumpled into pieces. 

The news then had a "Breaking Update" and announced that the driver of the blue car had unfortunately passed, due to his injuries. Virgil choked up, starting to bawl and he didn't know what, but something woke Remy up and he wandered into the living room to see Virgil helplessly crying. 

"Virgie? What's wrong?"

Virgil jerked out of his stupor, switching off the TV and getting on his knees in front of his little brother. "Remy... something- something... bad happened."

"What happened?"

"Daddy... Daddy got really hurt..."

"He's going to be okay, though, right?"

"N- no... he's not..."

"Virgie?! What do you mean he's not going to be okay?!"

"Daddy's... not coming back home."

"Wh- why not?"

"Because... because Daddy passed away. He's gone."

"N- no! No! Daddy's _not gone!_ He's coming home! We still have to play Uno together!"

"I'm... I'm sorry, Rems. He's gone."

Remy started to cry and wail, and Virgil held him in his arms, just like he'd seen his dad do after one of them had a nightmare. Virgil rocked Remy, and the two brothers sat on the floor and cried themselves to sleep.

The next day... Virgil woke up, and was confused as to why both he and Remy had fallen asleep on the living room floor and then- then he was forced to remember. 

He stood up, careful not to wake his little brother, and sat down on the couch. The grief was still so _raw_ and _fresh_ and _overwhelming_ but now… now there was something else too. What were they going to do? Now that dad was gone, who would take care of them? And Virgil realized _exactly_ what would happen. They'd get put back in the foster system, they'd be separated… And they'd never see each other again. After… after this loss… Virgil didn't know what he'd do without Remy. He didn't think he'd _survive_ if Remy was ripped away from him. 

That first day after was… strange. In more ways than one. The apartment already felt horribly vacant and empty without their dad there to fill the void, but no one came for them. No one came and took them away, which surprised Virgil greatly. The next day was the same: no one. And with this, Virgil realized something. He was being given a _chance_ here. A chance to keep their little family together, at least, what was left of it anyway… And if he wasn't selfish, if he was determined enough… he could do it. He could take care of Remy, provide for him. Just like… Just like their dad had. That day, Virgil and Remy had a very important conversation.

"Remy, I need to talk to you about something."

Remy wordlessly sat down next to his brother on the couch. He hadn't been speaking much, since he'd found out.

"Remy, you're going to have to go back to school. And when you do, you can't tell _anyone_ about this. Not your teachers, not your friends, _no one._ Cause, listen, if you tell..." Virgil took a deep breath to keep himself calm, "If you tell, then bad people are gonna come and take us away. They'll take me away too, so that we never see each other again. You don't want that, do you?"

At this, Remy let out a cry of distress and latched himself onto Virgil's arm. 

"Good, so you don't. Me neither. That's why we're _both_ gonna act normal. It- It'll be like a _game!_ A game of pretend! When we're around anyone, we have to play pretend that dad's... still here, cause if we don't, we _lose._ Do you think you can do that, Rems?"

Remy nodded against Virgil's shirt.

"Okay, good. Thank you."

A quiet, muffled voice spoke up, "Can I sleep in your room tonight?"

"Sure! Why, did you have a bad dream?"

Remy nodded again.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I- I- I was waiting here for you to come home from school! And I was waiting for Daddy too! You both weren't home and I was here _all by myself_ and- and- you _never came home_ and I went outside and I tried to _look_ for you and... and I found you. You- you... you were gone, just like Daddy."

Virgil held Remy at arm's length so he could look him in the eye. "Remy? Look at me. I _pinky promise_ you that I- I'm not ever gonna leave. I'm _always_ going to be here. I'm not ever gonna die because then that'd leave you by yourself! No matter what, I'll always be safe and come home so you'll _never_ be alone, okay?"

Remy sniffled and held out his pinky. "You pinky promise?"

Virgil smiled softly at him, before wrapping his finger around Remy's smaller one. "Yeah, Rems. I pinky promise."

Remy looked satisfied at that, but still insisted on giving Virgil a big hug. So, life went on. Virgil did odd jobs around town until he got something steady, albeit soul-sucking. He made sure to not fall behind on the rent, that Remy never went hungry. 

Virgil finished his tale, his voice calm, but tears streaming down his face. He hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes, but when he opened them, Logan was staring at him intently.

"W- well? Now what?"

"How long did you say this has been going on?"

"A little over a year."

"I see... Virgil, if you play your cards right, you might be in a position where you get what you want."

"Huh?"

"What you want, more than anything in the world, is to remain with your brother, correct?"

"U- um, yeah..."

"Well, although I do not make much as a social worker, I already have a... sizeable estate. It would be... quite easy to afford two extra mouths to feed, provided..."

"Provided what?"

"Provided that... the both of you, _especially you_ are on your best behavior and do enough to _earn your keep._ "

"I- um- I- I don't know..."

“Virgil, you only have two options here. Either risk losing your brother forever in the foster system, or accept my generous offer."

"I- I-" Virgil gulped. "...okay"

"I'm sorry?"

"Okay, as long as you keep us together, sure we'll live with you."

"Excellent, I will let my superiors know that nothing is amiss here, and will be by tomorrow to collect you and whatever possessions you'd like to bring."

Virgil watched him leave, still in complete disbelief that that had just happened. And now… he had to explain it to Remy.


	4. Chapter 4

Virgil did the 4-7-8 breathing exercise his dad had taught him to calm his nerves, and opened the door to Remy's room. Inside he found a little blob, wrapped up in a blanket, resolutely not looking at him.

"Remy... I know you're upset... I'm sorry I told you to leave, it was just that we had to talk about grown-up stuff..."

"We're supposed to be a _team,_ Virgie. Teams don't kick each other out."

"I... I know. I'm sorry. Would it make it any better if I told you what just happened?"

This earned him a cautious peek. Remy's bottom lip was poking out as he pouted, his arms still folded. Virgil sat down on the bed and explained, "The man, his name was Logan, he made me tell him everything. All our secrets. But... but he's not going to split us up. He said that we can move in with him, and that way we can stay together."

"What? Why? I don't wanna live with him! He's icky."

"He's- he's not- look... We only have two choices, either we go back into foster care and never see each other again, or we live with him."

"Why can't we just keep doing what we're doing?"

“Cause... cause Logan won't let us."

"Why not?"

"...I don't know.”

"Logan's a _jerk._ I _hate him."_

"Hey! Hate's a strong word, okay? Logan's helping us out, just... try not to be mean to him?"

Remy grumbled under his breath, "It's a strong feeling too." But under Virgil's imploring stare, he acquiesced, "Okay, fine I won't be mean, as long as he doesn't make you cry again."

Virgil guessed that that was as much as he'd get from the stubborn ten year old, so instead of arguing with him, he just said, "Thank you. Now, you need to pick out everything you want to bring. We leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, so you might as well get ready. Do you want help figuring out what to take?"

"No, I-"

This was all so soon! This place was Remy's home ever since he could remember! He didn't want to just... give it up!!

Virgil knelt down and put a hand on Remy's shoulder, "Hey, I know it's sudden, but... but everything's gonna be okay. It's not gonna be as bad as you think. Would I ever lead you wrong?"

“....no."

"There! This- this is gonna be good for us! Just wait and see!"

Remy griped but went through his entire toy collection and picked out the ones that he couldn't bear to part with. He put them in a pile in his room and when Virgil came back in to check on him, the two scooped the toys into a plastic bag that Virgil set on the counter. Virgil didn't have much, mostly just his clothes... and the watch that his father gave him on his 15th birthday. He never wore it out and about because he was scared it was going to get damaged. He filled up two plastic bags and gently laid the watch on top, setting everything out in the kitchen, ready to go at a moment's notice, so he wouldn't keep Logan waiting and would be on his "best behavior.” 

He went to check on Remy again and he was half-way down the hall when he realized: He still had to go to work. The whole confrontation with Logan had completely thrown work out of his mind. He checked the time and if he rushed, he'd still make it in time. He burst into Remy's room, gave him a kiss on the head, told him he was going to work, he'd be back late like usual, threw on his uniform and left. 

As he was walking, Virgil's mind wandered, and a peculiar thought struck him. How had Logan known in the first place that they were there? He knew Remy hadn't told anyone, he knew better than that. And then Virgil remembered his... _conversation_ with Roman the day before. Roman had seemed so worried. It- no… Roman had been the one to tell… To muck up his perfectly good plan. He'd had it down perfectly for almost a year and all it took Roman was one phone call to just… _shatter_ everything Virgil had worked for. Virgil felt something wet on his face and realized he was crying hot, angry tears. He wiped them away, full of indignant fury. Roman was going to be like _that_ huh? Well… Virgil didn't need _him._ He'd rather be alone than have to deal with some asshole who'll betray him the first chance he gets. Virgil should've known better. Should've known better than to open up _at all,_ even if it was just a little bit to his so-called "friends.” His- his _carelessness_ had cost them everything. When Virgil got to his work, the first thing he did was go to the bathroom and splash water on his eyes, so no one would notice that they were red. It was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, there's a loud knock at the door right at 9 o'clock sharp. Virgil freezes, still in bed, until he remembered the... arrangement that he and Logan had worked out. He groaned and stretched, before unlocking the door and squinting sleepily at Logan. 

"I am here to collect you and transport you to your new residence. I trust that you have packed everything you wish to bring with you?"

Virgil nodded. "Yeah, lemme just wake Remy up and we can go."

Instead of just knocking on Remy's door like he normally did, he quietly entered the room and put a hand on his brother's shoulder, gently shaking him.

"Rems, c'mon Rems, it's time to get up." He whispered

Remy whined and put the pillow over his head. "Don'twanna." he said, still half-asleep.

"C'monnnn, don't make me tickle you!"

At this, Remy violently scooted away and was staring at Virgil with wide awake, alert eyes.

Virgil chuckled. "There we go, now get up, let's go"

"Where are we going?"

"Remember? We're going to live with Logan?"

“Oh yeah.” Remy said with a grimace."He's here already?"

Virgil sighed. "Yeah, yeah he is."

Virgil led Remy into the kitchen. "Excellent. Let us depart."

Remy didn't immediately follow Logan and Virgil. Instead, he turned around and said, "Goodbye, house. You did a great job and I'll miss you."

He grabbed Virgil's hand and dragged him back into the apartment. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?" He asked with big puppy-dog eyes and his tiny lip starting to quiver.

"O- of course, Rems. Goodbye, apartment. You hold most of my fondest memories and kept us warm and safe. Thank you." He looked at Remy, who nodded approvingly, and only then did Remy allow Virgil to lead him out of the apartment, still holding his brother's hand.

They followed Logan outside, and Virgil's eyes widened when he realized that he was going to ride in the big, black, expensive Mercedes. Once they got to the house, Logan took them inside and Remy's jaw dropped.

"Wowww, it's so big!"

The size was... almost intimidating. Completely used to the small, somewhat cramped apartment, the large open rooms and tall ceilings made Remy feel... small. What was the opposite of claustrophobic? Cause that's what he was feeling right now. Remy hesitated, not wanting to step further into the room that he was convinced would swallow him whole. Instead, he hid behind Virgil, clinging to his sleeve

"Hey, is everything okay?" Virgil asked, ignoring Logan for the moment and kneeling down so he could look Remy in the eye.

"is too big. scary." Remy muttered, staring a hole into the floor

"It's gonna be okay! You'll get used to it! It'll just take a little bit. Do you want a hug?"

Remy sheepishly nodded. When Virgil stood back up, he was holding Remy's hand, and Logan had this? Weird expression on his face? That Virgil couldn't quite understand. It was almost as if he were... irritated or something? 

He showed them their rooms and said, "I doubt either of you had any breakfast. I'll have the chef prepare something." and walked away. 

The brothers shared a look of confusion and Virgil said, "Hey, uh, why don't you start putting your stuff away? Want any help?"

Remy shook his head, and Virgil shrugged. "Okay, well just let me know if you need anything." and headed into his own room. He went to put away his clothes, and was surprised to find that the closet was already full…

The closet was full of dresses, skirts, blouses… This wasn't right, Logan must've given him the wrong room. This room clearly belonged to a girl. Virgil went downstairs to inform Logan of his mistake, finding him in the lounge, what Virgil called the overly fancy living room.

"Hey, um, Logan? I think there's been a mix-up."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"My- my closet is already full of girl's clothes. I think you gave me the wrong room."

"No, that room is yours."

"But what am I supposed to wear?"

"The clothes that I have provided for you."

"I can't wear those! They're for girls! I'd get beat up if I started wearing dresses to school."

"Virgil..." Logan's tone was soft, but Virgil detected the danger in it and tensed. "Are you saying that you're rejecting my gift that I bought just for you? That wouldn't make you a very good houseguest, now would it?"

"I- I- n- no, I- I'm not r- rejecting it- I- I just-"

"You just _what,_ Virgil?"

"I... nothing. Th- thank you for the gift, Logan."

"You're welcome, Starlight. And don't fret about school, all you need to do is say the word and I'll _take care of_ whoever dared to lay a hand on you."

"I- okay..." Virgil said, leaving Logan to his reading and heading back up to his room.

Virgil shut the door, going to lock it when he realized there was no lock. He frowned to himself as he looked at the different options in the closet, dreading Remy's reaction. He didn't know how to explain to his little brother that this was going to be their new normal. He ended up settling for a fuzzy sweater that was so warm, Virgil didn't even mind that it was so feminine, just as long as he could stay warm and a long skirt. He didn't really like the skirt, wishing it had pockets he could shove his hands into if he started feeling awkward. It was also so open? At least his pants kept his legs a little warmer and more secure than this. But the other options were worse, so Virgil just sucked it up and wore it, reminding himself that everything is for Remy. As long as Remy is happy, it doesn't matter what happens to him.


End file.
